Of birthrights and dreams
by Angyield
Summary: Sometimes, Sanji didn't realize how much he was loved. A collection of prompts centered around Sanji for the #32daysofSanji event. Prompt #8: Wanted. "What do you want, Sanji?"
1. Family

Here's my first contribution to this monthly event (and the One Piece fandom as a whole). It's already the 5th here so I'm a bit late for the first prompt (thanks final exams) but here it is. I haven't written in a long time (and I've never written in English to be perfectly honest) but oh well.

 **Please keep in mind that English is not my first language and that I'm trying my best to improve my skills, so you may find quite a bit of spelling, grammar mistakes and such. I hope you'll enjoy it nonetheless!**

 _Rating:_ T

 _Genre:_ Gen (bit of angst, maybe)

 _Word count:_ 4279

 _Warnings:_ spoilers for the recent chapters (obviously)

* * *

 **Five times they unknowingly met a Vinsmoke + One time they knew.**

 _Or when fate made Black Leg's families cross paths._

 **1\. Nami**

Bell-mère was running.

She knew she didn't have much time before the Marines troops' arrival. Her own comrades were probably buried beneath the thick rain and the ruins of the island. But she will mourn them another time.

Deserting the battlefield was treason, she knew that much, however, when she looked down at the little girl safely tucked in a blanket that has seen better days in her arms and the slightly older one running at her side, she couldn't care less. The two newly orphans had no one else in this cold, cruel world and Bell-mère couldn't help but feel guilty about it. Around her was nothing but destruction. This was her doing, this was the government's doing. Was this the Marine's idea of justice? It wasn't hers. So she ran.

There, the harbor! She was so close, a few more steps and… Damn. Marines, only a few of them guarding the ships, but that was more than enough to stop her. Had she been alone, she could have tried to fool them, used her charms, that was an old trick that always worked. But she wasn't alone, she had two little girls and she had already sworn to herself to protect them with her life. She pushed Nojiko in a narrow alley. She needed to use her head a bit to get out of this tricky situation…

"Those are lovely girls you've got there."

… Well, fuck. So much for sneaking around.

She let out a small gasp and turned around at the voice that came from the creeping darkness of the alley, pushing Nojiko behind her and hiding the slightly feverish from the storm and yet almost sleeping Nami inside her open jacket. Her fingers found the trigger of the handgun hanging at her belt. She was ready to shoot at any moment, this wasn't the first life that she would take. The only thing she needed to do was to hide Nojiko's eyes. Not that she could still preserve the girl's innocence that was already tainted with the corpses and blood of the battlefield, but that was the least she could do.

A slim figure stepped out of the shadows, letting out a mocking laugh.

"And what are you planning to do with that?"

Bell-mère clenched her teeth, taking a defensive stance. Not a friendly guy then, her intuition (and maybe paranoia) was right from the start. Said guy seemed a bit older than her, but not that much, so well-dressed that it seemed almost out of place considering where they were and- What the fuck was wrong with that guy'seyebrows?

"I don't know, using it seems like a good start to me."

As much as she tried to hide it, the grin he gave her as an answer sent chills down her spine. He made a few more steps towards her. She wasn't a coward, nevertheless, trying to be brave was foolish in this situation. This man was a dangerous one, she wasn't an idiot. What was he doing here? Why would he try to harm her and two poor small girls? She couldn't fight and protect them at the same time, she needed to act, fast.

"Nojiko, you take Na-"

"There is a boat that you can take, further ahead. It's on a small beach where no soldier should be here. You should probably hurry up before they realize that you are running away from your duty, Marine."

The wet and useless cigarette stick that she had kept in her mouth fell on the ground.

"Wh-Why are you helping me? What the hell do you want in exchange? I haven't got any money."

"I don't need it, you have nothing that interests me. You see, I've got children myself. You should take care of them. Children can always be useful in the future."

His cold eyes (There was something unsettling in those eyes, Bell-mère could see it) looked down at the bundle in her arms. Nami was almost sleeping when she was running towards the harbor, oblivious to the chaos around her. Yet, she was now fully awake and staring back with those big curious eyes. After a few seconds, she seemed to decide that this stranger was a good one and brightly smiled, a childish smile full of life in the middle of this rainy hell.

And then, once again, Bell-mère was running.

She didn't realize it at this precise moment, but when she made it back to Cocoyashi village and when Nojiko and Nami were officially (well, she had said so) her daughters, safely sleeping in her arms, she thought a bit about that mysterious man that had shuddered, like bewildered, not knowing how to react to such a trustful smile.

She also couldn't get that sentence out of her head.

"Children can always be useful in the future."

* * *

 **2\. Zeff**

"What are you doing, little eggplant, slacking off again?!"

Sanji braced himself for a powerful kick in his ribs, and oh boy he was right. His body was full of bruises now, not that he will ever admit it. That old geezer will die before he'll recognize that his kicks with his damned wooden leg hurt! Grumbling words that a twelve-years-old boy should not even know, Sanji got up again to wash the dishes. The old man wouldn't let him cook for the clients yet, when he knew he was perfectly capable of doing so and he was a much better cook than some of the outlaws they had picked up on a few islands. For now, he was forced to wash the dishes and curse at the entire world for this injustice like any other child would do.

And he wasn't slacking off, he was just… Daydreaming. Hey, that could happen to anyone, especially such a young boy with a fantasy dream. They had received a delivery of colorful fishes from the four seas this morning and he couldn't help but try to take a sneaky look at them while they were being cooked. He could almost recognize them all, a result from countless sleepless nights reading and imagining what All Blue was like. His extended knowledge of a large number of species of fishes and sea kings from all over the world was something he was proud of. It was also something that Zeff didn't make fun of or didn't kick him for.

Speaking of the old man, he had to try to persuade him once more to cook for the clients. Come on, it was a waste of his talents and the old man knew that! With this in mind, like galvanized once gain, Sanji put down the not-so-cleaned plate in the sink and went off to find his mentor.

He found him near the main entrance of the floating restaurant. It was late during the afternoon, the room was empty of clients as they were getting ready for tonight's shift. Zeff was talking to someone else, arms crossed in front of him.

"Are you the owner of this restaurant? May I ask you a few questions?"

Sanji froze. He knew that voice, he remembered that voice. Careless, he was so careless, just walking in there without checking first! Did he really think he would be safe here?

After a few seconds, the boy shook himself out of his petrified state. Driven by his instincts, he dived behind the counter, making himself as small as he could and shaking from head to toe. His heart was beating so fast and so loud, he was sure Ichiji (it was him, he remembered that voice that sometimes appeared in his nightmares) and Zeff could hear it from where they were standing, he put a hand on his mouth in an attempt to deaden his panicked breathing. Careless, he was so careless!

"Depends on who's asking and what you're gonna ask."

"I assure you I won't bother you too long. I was just wondering, have you recently seen this boy?"

Silence. Tears of utter fear and horror were starting to sting Sanji's eyes. That's it. It was over. Zeff was going to tell Ichiji everything. He was going to come back to this terrible place he had called home before. A muffled whimper came out of his mouth.

"Nah, have never seen him. He seems like a nasty little brat if you want my opinion, but it's a damn floating restaurant here and I have a bad habit of picking up outlaws and criminals, we don't need any kid bothering us."

"Outlaws? I… See. Well, I am truly sorry for disturbing your afternoon. I shall search for him elsewhere. It's not like he can run away forever. Can't he?"

Ichiji had raised his voice at his last sentence. He knew, he knew, he knew he was just here listening! Sanji was ready to run, but where? They were in the middle of the damn ocean for fuck's sake! (… He couldn't say that, not out loud at least, because that was apparently not a vernacular appropriate for a boy of his age.) Where could he go? He could try to hide in the supply room for a bit, or maybe he could make a run for Ichiji's boat, he knew he could navigate by himself long enough to get to an island, or maybe he could-

"Mind telling me who the heck that was, little eggplant?"

He didn't even realize that Ichiji was gone while he was trying to plan his escape. Zeff was benched over the counter, his huge hat of his blocking his view. The old man was staring at him with eyes like steel. Sanji's own eyes were filled with tears of panic and he was shaking. Still, he tried to maintain a strong facade.

"That's none of your business, old man! I was going to leave anyway, so you better leave me al-"

"You're not going anywhere, little brat. I'm going to ask again, mind telling me who the hell is that guy with weird eyebrow like yours?"

"…"

"…"

"… Not particularly."

Zeff didn't say anything for a moment. Sanji lowered his eyes, not even bothering with a partial lie. He knew he was being kicked out anyway. He was going to run from them again.

Next thing he knew, Zeff's wooden leg met his hips again and he was sent flying in the kitchen. The old geezer had even perfectly aimed for the sink!

"The dishes won't get washed if you're there doing nothing, little eggplant! Get to work!"

What the actual fuck. (No, he couldn't say that either. But that was something that Patty and Carne said to each other all the time!) Sanji got up again, rubbing his definitely bruised ribs.

"I don't care where you're from, brat. Next time a guy like him shows up, he's the one who's going to get kicked out."

Maybe he didn't have to run after all.

* * *

 **3\. Chopper**

At the very top of Drum Kingdom, in an empty and frozen castle, Chopper woke up with a gasp. The small reindeer was shaking, but not from the cold and harsh temperature. He was born in it and more used to it than anyone else. Instead, still thinking about the image of a smiling and dying Hiluluk from his dream, he tried to blink back a few tears. He knew he would not be able to get back to sleep, he should as well try to study a bit more. Doctorine had given him a book of at least a few hundred pages in order to learn how to treat open wounds as fast as he could and Doctorine wouldn't forgive him if one single detail of it was left aside.

Jumping from his bed, Tony got out of his bedroom and crossed the wide corridor that led to one of their workshops, checking on a nest of baby snowbirds perched on the edge of a window while doing so. He was going to push the door open when he noticed a stray of light coming from another one that was slightly open. Why was Doctorine up at this hour? He remembered her saying that she was quite tired, they had made at least four visits in the villages below the mountain this week and while she would never admit any weakness, Chopper knew her enough to see right through her rough manners and her increasing drinking. Not that she would listen to what he had to say about that.

Fearing the wrath of his mentor, but curious nonetheless, Chopper quietly came closer to the door. Taking a peak (not realizing that he wasn't subtle at all since he was facing the wrong way), he noticed Doctorine and two other men in the room, one of them struggling to sit up on a bed.

"Look, I don't have anything else to give you right now, but I'll come back with the rest of the money you request later. You need to tend to the wounds of my brother."

Doctorine let out a sinister laugh.

"We'll see about that. You could at least be considerate enough and offer me some booze as a compensation. But I guess I'm feeling quite generous tonight."

She turned around, reaching for her tools, when she noticed Chopper standing in the doorway. The little reindeer stared back, horrified, bracing himself for flying utensils in the next seconds. Instead, the woman gave him a not-so-reassuring smirk.

"How about letting my assistant do the tending? Come on, Chopper, we'll see if you managed to learn anything with that thick head of yours. Make yourself useful for once! You got any problem with that, Blondie?"

"None, even though this is… A rather unusual situation."

"Good, otherwise I would have kicked you both out of here, dying brother or not."

The surgery went well, for his first one. His hooves shook every time the man let out a grunt of pain, but said man couldn't be granted with the sweet relief of unconsciousness, Chopper needed him awake and responding. Doctorine stood behind him, arms crossed on her chest, sometimes swearing under her breath when he didn't do something right, but other than that, she stayed silent. The brother did the same, although Chopper could feel him observing all of his movements.

A few days later, when they were both gone (because Doctorine would never let a patient leave her stone prison until he was completely healed), Chopper's thoughts wandered to the two mysterious blond brothers. They had come had out nowhere, climbing an excessively high mountain and they hadn't exchanged much during their stay in the castle. And those injuries… Chopper could only guess what caused them. He had not dared ask them (and well, he tried to limit his interactions with humans as much as possible). Still, he had a few more questions…

"Doctorine, please tell me, those two humans… Were they sick?"

"What makes you say that, Chopper?"

"Well, they… They seemed really unhappy, like something was bothering them. And they had really weird eyebrows! Are those an illness, Doctorine?!"

At that, the old woman laughed out loud, taking a sip of her bottle of… Whatever it was. Chopper didn't want to know.

"No, Chopper, it wasn't an illness. Although I guess you could say that it was the sign of another condition, like a curse that is passed down from a father to his children."

"What does that mean, Doctorine?"

"I hope for your sake that you will never know the answer.

* * *

 **4\. Robin**

Robin had just killed a man.

At twenty-four years old, it wasn't the first one. She had just arrived on that great sea that was Grand Line and the battle for her life was already getting tougher. So many years running, running from everyone and everything. She was only defending her life, that's what she kept telling herself. This one was only a man among many others, maybe a bounty hunter hoping to get the demon child's head. Too bad for him. Her nickname might have been a myth at its birth, it was closer to reality now.

She sheathed her knife, not caring about the fact that it was stained with fresh blood. She needed to obtain a new one it anyway. She couldn't stay here. Whiskey Peak was a dangerous island filled with other loathsome human beings and she had nothing to see here. She couldn't die now. After months and months (years!), she finally had a lead on a new Poneglyph, the one that could help her realize her mother's dream and her own for good. But for that, she needed to travel to Alabasta… Considering what she had heard about the criminal organizations wandering at the entrance of the Grand Line, this was not going to be an easy journey. Nevertheless, it was the only path available to her.

She only wanted to study what she loved.

She hurriedly made her way to the island's small port. Ironically, the sea, often assumed to be unpredictable and dangerous for anyone, was be the safest place for her to be. Human company was wicked. She chuckled at that thought. Nothing was really funny about her situation, but she was tired, so mentally exhausted that cruel irony was probably the best thing she could still enjoy.

Someone was following her. She was in no state to fight, she was surprised that her previous opponent had managed to injure her that much and it wouldn't be long before all the bounty hunters on the island came after her. She was tempted to quicken her steps, however, it would only make her a defenseless target. She stopped in a wide street illuminated by the full moon; a large open area was preferable when one's adversary was hiding.

"Show yourself."

"So the demon child finally made it to the Great Sea."

A figure emerged from what seemed like nowhere. Hands in pockets, the man (Robin could only assume it was a man according to the voice) was trying to look nonchalant, as if he was just randomly passing by. Likewise.

"What do you want? My head? My heart? Revenge or fame and glory?"

"Not really interested in that, sorry. How about helping each other a bit?"

Robin squinted her eyes in distrust. She wasn't a fool, did he really think she would allow him to stab her in the back once he was done with her?

"I want to get to Alabasta as soon as possible. Do you want to join me? I'll give you a free ride there."

Nothing was free in this harsh reality, Robin had painfully learned that lesson that she remembered well. Yet, this was a golden opportunity. She reluctantly nodded.

"Don't you want to know why I'm offering you this?"

"I do not care about your motivations. I only care about my own goals. Let's not waste any more time."

"Cold. Well, if you're so impatient, let's go. I've heard there is quite a number of greedy crocodiles in that country, did you know?"

Nico Robin did not answer. She disliked small talk.

* * *

 **5\. Usopp**

"Haha, did you miss me, Luffy? Of course you did, after all the Straw Hats are nothing without the Captain Uso—WOAAAAAH."

Was that Sanji over there, down the street? Oh yes, that was him, he could recognize that suit everywhere. Oh boy, he needed to hide, now, he couldn't allow a member of the crew to see him now, after all they needed to miss him a bit more so he could make his big return where everyone would shed tears, asking where he was the whole time because they all missed him and-

Oh yeah, the hiding. So much from practicing his theatrical (and hypothetical) comeback.

Water 7 was a big city, but he still managed to cross path with Sanji. Was he cursed or something? He dived in an alley, allowing only his nose to be seen since he was trying to keep an eye on the cook from the corner of the wall. Maybe he would be able to get a few pieces of information on the status of the crew and guess how much time he had left before their departure.

"Quite a handsome man, that Black Leg Sanji, isn't he?"

"I guess you could call him that if he is your kind of- WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?"

Usopp promptly spun around, smashing his head against the wall he was previously facing in the process. While he was seeing a few stars dancing around his head, a small feminine giggle reached his ears.

"You're a funny one! But I was just messing around with you. It's not very nice to spy on people even if they are now famous, you know, unless you know him personally."

Usopp paused for a second. Rubbing the back of his head, he stared at the women that had startled him. She was a bit taller than him, long blond hair came out of her hat that hid her forehead. She was still silently giggling, a delicate hand covering her mischievous smile. Usopp swallowed with difficulty. He may not know her, but he knew an innocent and easily impressed woman when he saw one!

"If I know a Straw Hat? I… Well of course I do! And I know each one of them, I even met White Beard himself and he was deeply impressed by my bravery!"

"Is that so? How interesting… Tell me, what is Black Leg like? He seems like such a mature and well-mannered man."

"I wouldn't describe him that way, but whatever floats your boat. You could probably go and talk to him right now yourself, you know, I'm sure he'd be happy to take you out for a dinner or something…"

"Really? I am not so sure about that myself…"

What kind of smile was that? She seemed like an innocent citizen, sure, but that smile… Was really weird and unsettling. Almost fake.

"Thank you, Usopp. It was a nice conversation. I hope we'll meet again and that it will be a happy reunion for all of us."

In a blink of an eye, she was gone. The liar wasn't sure how to react. … Nah, he was probably paranoid, after all this showdown with an organization of assassins, getting back to a "normal life" (normal to the Straw Hats' standards) was easier said than done. Well, it seemed like Sanji's never-ending love for women was finally going to get reciprocal… Right?

Wait… How did she know his name?

* * *

 _1._ Sanji

"What's the meaning of this, Sanji?!"

He was there, just in front of them. They have been running after their dear cook for days and nights, and yet each time he was close enough for them to reach, fate decided that no happy reunion would be granted. They had encountered the other Vinsmoke siblings, multiple times, taunting smiles and lies about that now notorious wedding. Like hell!

Luffy had kept a smile plastered on his face the entire time: Sanji was waiting for them, he had said so. Nami wasn't so sure of that herself: the memory of Sanji, all smiles and promises just before being kicked out of Capone's body kept playing in her head. She couldn't help it, she had a bad feeling about this. She could tell she wasn't the only one, Brook was as silent as her when their captain was loudly asking for meat prepared by their talented cook. (Surprisingly, she could tell what those empty eye sockets were saying without words. Dear lord, she was now making skull jokes.) Don't misunderstand, she trusted Sanji with her life, but his last words to them sounded too much like an empty promise.

This was like Robin all over again, except that none of them had had the presence of mind to wander alone and try to plan things ahead like Sanji used to. This time, their (non-official) strategist was on the other side of the rescue team.

He was on the other side of that room from Big Mom's Palace as well. They had been on their way to the Yonkō with the intention of crashing the wedding, fetching their cook, maybe beat up Big Mom a bit for Luffy and then getting out of here. Who needs fancy planning, there was no flaw in their logic. That's what they always did anyway: rush and improvise. What could go wrong?

Well, everything.

Chopper had smelled that sweet mix of tobacco and spices before anyone else. Then Nami had recognized that familiar slender figure. Luffy had not noticed Sanji's defensive and non-welcoming stance.

"Sanji, there you are! C'mon, everyone is waiting for you, let's go!"

"A pity, captain. Unfortunately, I will not be joining you on your little journey anymore."

Flames began to surround his left leg and a knife, a knife miraculously made its way into Sanji's hand. Sanji's blue eyes were cold, cold as ice, they were dead, dead, he was dead, where was his burning passion for his legendary ocean, where was his love for his crew, what was happening? This was a nightmare, this was a nightmare, this wasn't Sanji, he never fought with his precious working tools and hands, and Nami was sure she was going to wake up, it was only a matter of time, the stranger in front of them was— Then she realized.

There was no Black Leg Sanji of the Straw Hats. There has never been Vinsmoke had deceived them all.

* * *

I am obviously taking some liberties since we know next to nothing about the Vinsmoke family. But I like to think that they have had influence on pretty much everything in the timeline (pushing Robin towards Baroque Works, because of rivalry between the two organizations maybe… Who knows!) I'm really looking forward to meeting each sibling, since I've also taken some liberties with their personalities, goals and such.

Thanks for reading!


	2. Love

First of all, I want to thank the kind anon that left a review and everyone that subscribed to this! I just started writing again after years and I'm still not confident about doing so in English, but it made me really happy, so thanks a lot!

Here's my second contribution, with the prompt "Love".

 _Rating:_ T

 _Genre:_ Angst

 _Word count:_ 877

 _Warnings:_ spoilers for the recent chapters (obviously)

* * *

At some point during their journey, Sanji realized he still didn't know what love was.

It must have been during that very precise moment at the top of the Tower of Justice. His dear – their dear – Robin had finally screamed out her pain which no else had witnessed for decades, tears streaming down her face and Sanji had felt angry and ready to destroy the whole world. How could someone even think of hurting her? His whole crew shared the same feeling and need to protect her, because they loved her. So they did. They crushed everything that was standing in their way. Enies Lobby fell that day and more than two years later, he was sure that nothing could be salvaged from the wreckage that they had left behind them.

After that episode, Robin was more open to them, honestly smiling and sharing her feelings, finally calling them by their names. They picked up Franky and Brook in no time. Although the loss of the Merry was still in a corner of their minds, their new ship was constantly filled with glee and laughs. They never said it to each other, but they cared for each other. It was them against the world, but nothing was able to break them.

Sanji wasn't that confident.

It wasn't love for him. It wasn't love when he invented a new tangerine-based recipe, especially for Nami, when he made sure to put less sugar in Zoro's meal because he knew the damn bastard wouldn't like it if it was too sweet, when he tried to aid Brook with a cup of tea when he couldn't phrase lyrics of a new song the way he wanted, when he willingly sit down to listen to Usopp's passionate and endless explanations of his new gadgets. It wasn't love either when he helped Robin water her flourishing garden, when he spent his own allowance given by their greedy navigator on Franky's mechanical supplies whenever he needed them, when he insisted to accompany Chopper in his search for new medicinal herbs on unknown islands in order to be there to protect him in case something happened. It wasn't love when he couldn't say no to Luffy's blinding grin and request for food, no matter how much he kicked him for it.

It wasn't love because he was lying to all of his crew, faking. He was a liar, he didn't deserve Nami's trust, Zoro's respect, Brook's lullabies, Usopp's admiration, Robin's smiles, Franky's tears, Chopper's care and most of all, Luffy's faith in him.

How could he pretend to love them when he was going to hurt them? How could he even dare say he was part of the famous Straw Hats crew when none of them knew that he was a monster? No, they didn't love him. They admired his sweet face and skills, his powerful legs and fire. If only they knew... They would hate him.

He treasured them with all his heart and mind and would sacrifice his own life and hands for them. However, they would never feel the same towards the monster he really was.

His real family loved him.

He came back to them or they came back to him, Sanji didn't really know. He pretended he didn't remember Ichiji's disapproving glare when he couldn't bring himself to kill one of their mansion's maids because their father thought she was doing a poor job at six years old, petrified at the sight of blood on his hands. He didn't remind Niji and his old pastimes like experimenting new torture methods on his little brother. He feigned ignorance even when he could only think of Reiju's harsh words and Yonji's mocking laugh, saying he was disappointed in his big brother because he wasn't like them. They were all kids at that time.

When he came back, they decided to brand the Vinsmoke name on his back. He screamed like he never had. It wasn't the pain, he was used to fire and what kind of cook feared fire? It was because he knew he would never run away again. He put on an emotionless mask and followed them, Ichiji's firm grip on his shoulder, Niji behind him to make sure he couldn't run, Yonji leading the way and showing his big brother what a perfect Vinsmoke was and Reiju's arms around his waist, humming her poison in his ear.

"You belong to us. We love you, you know, we are a real family. You know that, right, deep down inside?"

He tried to convince himself that they were right.

He wanted to throw up.

So he took back his Vinsmoke name, something he had abandoned. He obeyed and followed his siblings, like the perfect son he should have been. And when the flame in his heart died (it was for their own good, he was protecting them from his horrid and grotesque self, it was the only way), he heard his former captain screaming his name. He turned around, his brothers and sister mimicking him at his side. _They_ were all here.

 _"Why are you coming back for me?"_

Luffy gave him his trademark laugh.

"Sanji, you can be a real idiot sometimes. You know why."

He was loved.

* * *

Sanji has so much self-worth issues in my head and I love him even more for that.


	3. Spices

Once again, thank you all for the favorites and subscriptions! It really warms my heart to see my work appreciated. I also want to thank the two lovely people who left a comment on the last chapter, thank you so much! Here comes the third prompt, "Spices".

 **Keep in mind that English is not my first language, blah blah blah, you know it all.**

 _Rating:_ T

 _Genre:_ Gen (bit of fluff I guess)

 _Word count:_ 885

 _Warnings:_ slight spoilers for the recent chapters

* * *

Sanji's life was all turmoil and spices.

No, this wasn't entirely right. Sanji's life was all turmoil and spices since Zeff had barged into it, like a storm during an actual one, destroying everything he thought was right. Before that, Sanji only remembered the blandness of his early life. All his memories were a combination of blood and tears, of cruel brothers and a mocking sister, of horror and a discontented father. You could say that there was nothing bland about that, and in a sense you could be right, as those images came to him in a succession of flashes, and sometimes when the night was at its darkest point, he still shuddered under his blanket even if his crew's presence enveloped him in a protective cocoon that kept most of the nightmares away. Still, it was all dull to him, as he didn't remember an ounce of happiness during those years.

Zeff was the one who introduced him to an entire realm of colorful herbs and flavors. By saving his life and giving up his own leg, the old man had opened the eyes of a lost child. He had taught him everything he knew, from his fighting skills to survival in a merciless world, giving him a moral compass that he followed now without any question. Sanji realized that his vision of the world and its people was messed up, courtesy of the Vinsmokes, and Zeff, although he never told him his last name, had probably noticed his tendency to use violence or people themselves as a way to reach his goals, no matter how meaningless. Through countless kicks from his wooden leg and massive hat, the old geezer had raised a should-have-been assassin into a now twenty-one-year-old kid with a dream and a golden heart.

It hadn't been an easy job, the kid was hopeless from the start. His passion for cooking might have been there deep inside, buried under knowledge of things that a boy of his age shouldn't even learn, but his skills were almost non-existent next to his own decades of experience. Had All Blue not been a shared fantasy, Zeff would have probably dumped the child on some random island after their recovery from The Rock. Well, that's what he kept telling himself at least.

Sanji did everything wrong at first. Each dish was either too much cooked or the other way around, he put too much sugar, too much salt or not enough. To an amateur's taste, it would have still been good enough, but Zeff only wanted the best for his clients. And for his apprentice. So yes, he scolded him every time he did wrong (and well he scolded him all the same if he did right, because no feelings were allowed to be shown at the Baratie according to a rule known by everyone and yet said by no one). However, there was something that Zeff could never instruct to that brat: it was the use of spices.

Sure, you could follow a recipe and get the right amount of spices needed right. However, a real chef never used recipes except his own and if Sanji had so much as a bit of talent in him, he could figure it out himself. Well, he had to, otherwise he would receive more than a kick. With that in mind, he let the damn rascal experiment on his own when he thought Zeff wasn't looking (As if!). The kid invented numerous horrifying meals, so much that Zeff thought he might genuinely cry (Who in the name of the four seas with at least basic common sense put cinnamon and garlic together in a dessert, stupid boy?!). On the other hand, Sanji was creative and soon came up to him with ideas that were unheard of.

And if Zeff used to found a cup of parsley tea on his desk during rainy nights that made him wince and massage his leg where flesh and wood met, he didn't say a thing. They didn't need to.

Now, he didn't know where his little eggplant was. In the New World, he knew that much. A few weeks ago, his new wanted poster fell from the newspaper. Patty and Carne had laughed their heads off at his ridiculous photo and yet proudly claimed that this was their cook with a now higher bounty on his head, their own very bratty kid. Zeff himself could only focus on the "Only Alive" part. What trouble have you gotten yourself into, stupid brat?

The former mighty Zeff was worried, he admitted it. But he also knew that he could trust Sanji with his crew, knew that he was the best cook out there. Sanji had enough judgment and talent to guess that Chopper's preferred pastries were even better with almond extract in them, that Robin and Franky liked extra hot spices such as harissa and gochugaru (Those were hard to find but their smiles were the perfect reward) for whatever crazy reason they had, that putting a bit of cinnamon in his dear Nami's late night tea was perfect to soothe her frustration when she couldn't draw one of her precious maps. Zeff believed in Sanji with all his heart.

And damn right Zeff was proud of what his son had become.

* * *

Parseal tea is known for its health benefits, such as helping with arthritis and rheumatism and it's also rich with vitamins and minerals. Harissa is a hot chilli pepper paste from Tunisia (and let me tell you, it's super spicy) and Gochugaru is often used in South-Korean meals.

Welp, I actually had to do some research for this because I know nothing about cooking.

Aaaaah, I love Papa Zeff so much.


	4. Royalty

Here come the fourth prompt! I wrote this as I was still in shock of what's happening as it was supposed to be a celebration day for me, so I apologize if it seems a bit rushed or difficult to understand, but I was quite happy with what I came up with. Enjoy!

 _Rating:_ T  
 _Genre:_ Gen, bit of angst but nothing much  
 _Word count:_ 1876  
 _Warnings:_ slight spoilers for the recent chapters

* * *

They say that the Northern Sea was the sea of Greatness. Whereas East Blue had nothing to offer but tranquility, West Blue provided the most ruthless pirates and South Blue was known for its merchants and commercial products of inestimable value, North Blue was the land of royalty.

They say that no one remember where they came from, or even their names. In some small island so far away from civilization, you could find tiny villages, and if you were lucky enough, an old man hunched up by the years might be able to help you and answer your questions, remembering tales older than him that were passed down to him from his father and his father's father before, tales that were created generations ago. Between his feeble memories and the fact that those stories had been twisted by many interpretations, you would surely waste your time trying to find the origin of those tales. Nowadays, it was better to assume that they were nothing more than myths.

Yet, they also say that there is always a bit of truth in legends.

Had you been born centuries ago, you could have witnessed how magnificent North Blue was. One single family ruled over the ocean and its multiple islands and archipelagos, with a merciful king who never ignored his people and granted liberties and a safe haven, aided by his queen who gave hope to each one of them. Their presence brought prosperity, luxury and peace, even to the simple peasant and they assured that the happiness of their population was enough of a reward, thus refusing any offering. People from all over the three other seas came to visit and witness the glory of the Northern Sea with their own eyes and they say that each heir to the throne pursued the hard work of their parents.

Sanji would like to know who the fuck "they" was because it was nothing like he remembered of his former home.

* * *

When Robin was still young, stupid and reckless, when she still thought that one day she would be able to wander around freely with no bounty on her head, she stumbled across quite a peculiar book. She was at the time getting closer to Grand Line and was resting in a surprisingly peaceful island of West Blue. She still avoided the bigger streets and the crowds as her face was known in the entire world and even the friendliest farmer could find the amount of money rewarded for her capture appealing. She had learned that the hard way. When moving deeper into the town's narrow alleys, she spotted an old library that seemed forgotten by everyone. A pity. And also a blessing for her, no one would disturb her. She had a few hours to kill before sailing to the Grand Line.

The front of the book was blank, any author or title had been erased by salt and water. When she opened it, a few sheets of paper fell on the floor. Picking them up, she got to work, a slight bittersweet smile on her lips. Professor Clover would have loved this.

She assumed that the book itself was at least a few centuries old, but those sheets of paper were only decades old according to their condition. The book was written in a language unknown to her, she could only understand a few words she remembered from her hours of studying inside the Tree of Knowledge. If only she had more documents to help her, she was sure she could translate it. For now, she was sure of one thing: this book was a collection of tales and legends from the North. Words like "king" and "harmony" were seen more often than others. Although she didn't have enough skills to understand what exactly those stories were about, she got the gist of it. Nothing was unusual about this book, hundreds like this one existed to help children dream at night.

What was more noteworthy were those sheets of paper. The book had been printed, but those ones looked more like they were from a personal diary or a log book. The handwriting was frantic, sloppy, as if the owner had no time to lose. Thankfully, it was in the common language. This person had been a nervous one, that's for sure, ink blots and erasures stained the sheets. References to pages and paragraphs of the fairy tale book were inscribed all across the diary.

This was the work of a researcher of some kind. Many annotations were scribbled in the margin, sometimes denying what was written in the ancient language, sometimes only question marks were there. Robin's intuition had been right, there was something strange about this. Why use a children's book as a base for an investigation?

The last pages of the handwritten notes caught her attention. This time, the author had taken the time to write neatly. The sense of urgency and almost excitement she could feel in the previous notes was gone, instead she could discern something that sounded like cold acceptance in the way it was worded.

" _The royal North Blue from the legends doesn't exist anymore. The royal family is gone, replaced by something else, something else that rules from the shadows and-"_

"Nico Robin! Don't you dare run, your bounty is mine!"

Hands sprouted from the back of the intruder, twisting his neck and dropping him on the floor. She had wasted too much time on this island, of course someone had seen and recognized her! More of them were coming, footsteps echoing against the walls. The demon child quickly grabbed her few belongings and ran, forgetting her newly found treasure in her panic. If only she had read further, she would have made an interesting discovery, for herself and for her future family.

" _I can only hope that someone will find these notes and carry on my work, no matter how dangerous it is. The Vinsmokes are coming for me, I know it."_

* * *

It was one of those nights where Luffy insisted that they should all eat dinner outside of the galley and reunite on the lawn of the Thousand Sunny. Sanji himself wasn't really keen on the idea since he preferred to be close to his kitchen and serve his crew as they were eating, but Luffy played the "Captain's orders" card and what could the cook refuse to him when he was pleading and pouting with obviously fake tears in his eyes?

Sanji was not going to lie though, those nights were the best. It was during them that Usopp acted his heroic tales with the help of a gullible Chopper and Sanji secretly enjoyed them. Brook played a light tune or a more rhythmic one with Franky when Luffy asked and even Zoro actually made an effort not to nap and instead bickered with Nami. Then after a few hours, they settled down in a circle and Robin started to narrate her famous horror stories with a mischievous smile on her lips.

After a while, they shared personal stories with open hearts and the others were silent as they listened. All of them had been through a lot of serious episodes in their lives and yet they were all here, alive and protecting each other. Brook mentioned West Blue and numerous musical adventures while Robin had confessed a few times how much she missed her dear Ohara. They didn't say much in response, they didn't need words.

Chopper was sitting in Sanji's lap, genuinely smiling at each other's stories. The small reindeer turned his head to look up.

"What about you Sanji? Didn't you say that you were from North Blue? How was it?!"

"You never told us about your life before the Baratie!" Usopp said.

"I don't know much about the North Blue either, I've just heard a few things like how cold it was." Nami added.

The cook's heart skipped a few beats. His whole crew was staring at him, oblivious to his sudden distress and waiting for him to finally start a story of his own childhood. Sanji swallowed hard, breaking out in a cold sweat. Well, that was unexpected.

"I... I don't remember much about North Blue, I left so long ago when I was very young... Sorry guys. I do recall the harsh cold, but that's all really." He smiled, hoping that he sounded convincing enough.

The whole crew sighed in disappointment (except Zoro because the guy was pretending he didn't care, fuck you very much algae plant)...

"They say it was the land of royalty."

… And of course Robin, because his dear and gorgeous Robin always _knew_. She was looking right at him, questioning him. No one could escape that stare.

"I'm really sorry my dear Robin, I wouldn't know about that. You probably have much more knowledge than I do!"

He could have kicked himself without hesitation. How dared he lie to one of his ladies? … Technically, it wasn't a total lie. She did know much more than him on what North Blue was like in the books and the rumors. He knew the reality of it and despised it.

Because he remembered, of course, who could even forget that?

He remembered the cold, yes. When they visited Drum Island, he had a familiar feeling of the snow under his feet and the weak light of the sun trying to break through the clouds but never succeeding, of the thin and sick faces of the inhabitants living, _surviving_ with this harsh weather. A cold that drove people mad with hunger, hunger for a better life, but also real hunger because food was always scarce. "They" also say that people of the North loved to sing. However, "they" didn't know the meaning of those songs, but Sanji could tell you that they sang because they had nothing else, because the cold was merciless, biting their fingers and they could only wait and sing for salvation, because the cold is a monster that devours everything.

Sanji remembered, but he didn't say a thing to his crew. He remembered walking among his people, watching them begging and then feeling guilty because he was powerless and himself had everything he needed back in his mansion. He remembered his sister claiming that they shouldn't bother because they were princes and princesses and the Vinsmokes had more important things to do. He remembered thinking _what's the point of ruling over your people if they are suffering because you won't do a thing_?

He also remembered sneaking past the barriers of the mansion and pretending to be a common peasant and singing with them until his lungs were screaming and feeling happy and free. Nowadays, Sanji doesn't sing anymore.

"Sanji, are you feeling okay?"

Chopper's voice brought him back to reality. Still sitting in his lap, he was looking fixedly at him with worried eyes. Fearing a fierce scolding from a doctor that no one could escape from, Sanji smiled.

"Don't worry, Chopper. I'm just a bit cold, that's it."


	5. Fire

Fitting that I have to write about "Fire" when the hot weather is trying to kill me. Someone save me. Anyway, here comes the fifth prompt! Again, thanks to everyone who followed and/or favorited~

 _Rating:_ T  
 _Genre:_ Hurt/Comfort  
 _Word count:_ 1,400  
 _Warnings:_ very brief descriptions of burns

* * *

Since Luffy had barged into his life, Usopp had pretty much abandoned all notions of logic and sanity because what could you do when you lived with a captain made of rubber, a talking reindeer and a pervert walking skeleton? Well, he _guessed_ that those ones were weirdest members of their crew of misfits, but as already said, his sense of rationality was messed up for good. So having a cook that could set his legs on fire (literally, yes, that kind of things happen, dear reader, try to keep up) was just the kind of thing you got used to and you just had to accept it without any question. Just a common day among the Straw Hats.

No one had really questioned Sanji about this. However, Usopp had a lot to ask, the first question being " _Sanji, what the heck?_ ". Then, how can you just set your leg on fire like that without any ability, does it hurt, did someone teach you that or did you just went like " _Hey, I'm a cook so let's set my opponents on fire, that seems fun"_ , do you think you could cook something with it (Now that's an interesting idea...), does it hurt, how can you still walk after that and finally, does it hurt?!

Mind you, Usopp never really asked because a lot of things happened after that. You know, having to escape from Enies Lobby, Thriller Bark, then two years separated from everyone, pissing off Big Mom at Fishman Island (why, Luffy, why)... It just didn't seem to be that important. So Usopp muttered a "Whatever" and went on with his life.

* * *

They were used to encounter several crews on what seemed to be peaceful islands and more often than not, said crews tried to challenge them, thinking they could get a bit of fame in defeating the one-billion worth Straw Hats. Still, it was nothing they couldn't handle, really, they didn't spend two years wasting their time. Usopp was quite proud of how much he had improved if you asked him. Sure, he would never be on par with their Monster Trio (who would?) but he could protect himself and with a bit of teamwork, he didn't have anything to fear. It was just like Nami had said so long ago, before Alabasta, guys like them needed to use their brains if they wanted to win and survive.

However, the unexpected always happened in the New World and one bunch of pirates among many others was a bit more powerful than they thought. And when Luffy went after their opponents' captain, the two main pillars of their own crew battled their counterparts, slicing and kicking buildings in their paths, getting so far that the rest of them could only try to listen and hope they were victorious.

The skirmish lasted a few hours. Usopp could hear Franky laughing and shouting "SUUUPER", meaning that he was probably in the street next to where he was. The liar himself had done a great job fighting on his own and although he just wanted to get back to his beloved bed and rest for days, he was starting to worry. The west side of the island had quieted down, yet he was pretty sure it was where either Sanji or Zoro were fighting, except that neither of them was coming back. Usopp got up, deciding to catch up with the others. He found them pretty quickly and nope, Zoro was here, bleeding from almost every part of his body (not that he seemed to care). Now they only needed to wait for Sanji and Luffy in order to come back home.

... Oh, what the hell, he couldn't stay still.

"Chopper, let's go search for Sanji."

They did find him without any trouble, but not really in the state they expected. Their cook was lying on his back among the wreckage of what was once a plaza of some kind, yet he was conscious and calmly smoking. He slowly turned his head at the sounds of the cries and footsteps of his crew mates.

"Sorry... Might have been a bit overboard with the fire. Hurts like hell."

The bastard was smiling like it was nothing. But Usopp _saw_ and watched Chopper tending the wounds, oh dear God, those were more than first-degree burns. Both of his legs were burnt up to the knees, and small pieces of his suit had melted with the skin. And the smell...

Chopper transformed in order to lift him and bring him back to the ship. Sanji fell into deep unconsciousness from the pain on the way, something that Usopp was thankful for. He remained silent the whole time, even when the reindeer requested his help for the surgery that lasted a few hours. Even if Sanji wasn't aware of what was happening, the sniper noticed him frowning and whining in pain when Chopper's hooves were inspecting the damaged flesh.

Fire could burn the cook, even if it was his own.

Usopp allowed himself to breathe when their doctor assured them that only faint scars would remain from the misadventure. After all, there was nothing he couldn't cure. Usopp wondered if he could cure his feeling of guilt.

* * *

Usopp quietly opened to door to the infirmary, needing to check on Sanji before going to bed. Robin was on watch, taking over his own shift. It has been a few days since the fierce battle. Nevertheless, Usopp couldn't help but come up with all kind of scenarios in which he was present to prevent such a disaster. The sight of Sanji's burnt legs was something he would never forget. The cook was awake despite the hour, arms crossed on his chest and smoking. He didn't show that he noticed Usopp's entrance, but the latter suspected he didn't. He looked spaced out despite the tiny amount of cinders accumulating on his chest from his cigarette. Usopp picked up an ashtray, catching falling ashes at the right time. Sanji glanced up at him.

"... Are you feeling any better?"

"Don't know, can't really feel my feet. And I'm going crazy in here. You know what, just carry me to the galley, I need a goddamn stress reliever."

"But Chopper said you shouldn't get out of bed yet..."

"What Chopper doesn't know will not hurt him."

"No, but it'll probably hurt you, dumbass."

"If you don't carry me to my kitchen, I swear I'll cook mushrooms at every freaking meal for three months, and yes, even breakfast, and you know I don't like when people waste food."

"You wouldn't dare- alright."

In the end, because Usopp was a weak man against legitimate threats, the liar agreed to carry him on his back, making sure not to put too much pressure on Sanji's thighs where he was holding him. The cook ended up making him a late-night snack to thank him, safely perched on a tall stool so his legs weren't needed. He let out a deep sigh, blowing smoke right at a very annoyed Usopp's face.

"I can see you mopping like a kicked puppy. It's not your fault, never has been, never will be."

"But what if I-"

"Just shut up and stop being an idiot."

* * *

After what felt like hours (but has probably been just one) of fearing the wrath of Chopper at any moment (at least for Usopp), they repeated the same process to get back to the sick bay.

"I'm telling you I beat up at least sixty people today!"

"Sure, and Zoro is my best pal, like everyone knows."

"You're just jealous."

"Yeah, that's probably what it is. Anyway, it's not like your shitty long nose could- YOU FUCKER, YOU DROPPED ME!"

"Ever heard of the proverb 'You should not offend the man that carries you when you can't walk'?"

"I swear I'll give you that mushroom diet, Longnose."

"Want me to drop you again or what?"

"... You know I love you, Usopp."

"Liar."

"Isn't that supposed to be your job?"

"... You got me there."

Needless to say that the sniper took all the blame and a painful scolding from Chopper the next morning, even though the small doctor had been sleeping. ... Who was he kidding, Robin had been on watch the whole night and she sure loved to mess around with them.

* * *

I might have been less inspired on this one, so have some good old fashioned hurt/comfort with Usopp because who doesn't love him. Plus, I find his relationship with Sanji very fun to explore. Usopp's point of view is pretty fun to write as well!


	6. Blue

Thanks to everyone who subscribed! The 6th prompt is "Blue"... and I don't know what I just wrote but I kind of love it.

 _Rating:_ T  
 _Genre:_ Angst, gen  
 _Word count:_ 2,610  
 _Warnings:_ spoilers for the most recent chapters (especially chapter 833!)

* * *

Sanji knew there was something wrong with him. He knew it from the beginning, mostly because his siblings made that very clear, but also because no one else was like him so he had to be a freak, _right_?

He wasn't strong like his brothers nor did he have his sister's talent for voracious and wicked smiles that appeared polite and sweet to those who weren't aware of her need to make people suffer. He wasn't like that, he was weak, his fists didn't carry enough strength and his spirit wasn't fierce enough to make their father proud. And Sanji was even more of a monster because he didn't see colors like he was supposed to.

You see, in this world, anyone was born with a soul mate or more. Platonic or romantic, it didn't really matter, but they were supposed to be the other part of your soul, people that you couldn't live without. Until meeting them, you could only see the world in shade of white, black and gray. Then, if you were lucky enough to cross paths with them, the colors would suddenly appear to you. Some people pretended they didn't care, some others didn't have to pretend and lived their lives without thinking about such a trivial thing, some others went mad with desperation and the feeling of emptiness.

The Vinsmoke family had themselves for soul mates except Sanji. He wasn't theirs and they weren't his.

He was a monstrosity after all. Didn't he deserve all those beatings and hours spent in the dark? Why did he even bother with begging his father to let him out ( _It's so dark here, Father! Please let me out! It's scary, please let me see the sun today!_ )? He was broken, maybe his father was only trying to fix him.

Despite muttering this to himself when he only had the shadows of his now so familiar cell for sole company, Sanji knew it was hopeless. He knew it deep inside because he _could_ perceive colors. Only one to be more accurate. He could see the cruel blue of his siblings' eyes and the rare times he was allowed to sleep in the room he shared with his brothers, he could see the blue of his own eyes when looking at a mirror. He could see the warm blue of their ties when they got dressed, of some of the expensive curtains of the cold corridors of the mansion. He could see the bright blue on the covers of the book he liked to read at night when he stealthily went to the library even though he knew his brothers would find out and mock him for it. The book was named "All Blue", he had curiously picked up because the title reminded him of his condition.

Above all, he could see the deep blue of the Northern Sea. For that, Sanji loved the sea with all his heart. It had so many different shades that he could see all at once and although it was unusual, he liked spending his time wandering on the shores of their island during his spare hours, dipping his feet in the cold water. No one bothered him. (A little voice inside him told him it was because _they were just glad you're not around to be a burden because you can't see colors like they do and you're weak, fragile, do you even realize how worthless you are_.) The sea was a quiet one, never telling him he was bad company. Even during storms, the harsh and dangerous waves didn't seem to want to harm him, as the heart of the storm always avoided him. At least it was a little fantasy he allowed himself to have, it was a pure hazard if they never got close to him.

He envied his family because they could see all the colors that existed. Because he was broken, he would never experience that. It seemed to be hilarious for Reiju as she kept mocking him ( _"There he is, little blind boy!"_ ). As for his father, he only mentioned it once, the first and only time that Sanji confessed that he could discern blue. ( _"Father! Father! I can see blue! I couldn't yesterday! I can be part of the family now, I am like Ichiji and Niji and Yonji!"_ ) That moment was engraved in his memories.

"You don't have a soul mate, boy. You are not worthy enough to be considered as our equals."

The fact that he could only see one color made it worse somehow. He thought he was just a bit late, he was going to catch up and see everything like they did and he would finally walk next to them and not behind. Obviously they didn't feel the same. _Silly boy that you are_ , the Vinsmoke family only needed themselves, the siblings were each other soul mates and never experienced a black and white world. You are not theirs, you failed.

So one day, he ran away. He ran as fast and as far as he could, sneaking past the guards, boarding the first ship he saw. He was scared, so scared, he was alone and he could only run, run because he knew they were after him and he had to reach the Red Line, get to the other side. Maybe they would forget him if he was on the other side of the world. Every time someone approached him, asking what a nine-year-old kid was doing on his own out there, he ran. But every time he did, he glanced at the sea and its immense stretch of blueness and somehow it gave him enough strength to keep going. It was everywhere, no matter where he was but it was what comforted him. No matter what happened, the ocean was with him.

Yet, there was one time he hated the ocean with all the power he had left in his almost dead body. He wanted to scream at it, it was supposed to help him, not trap him on a goddamn rock and make him starve. Well, it's not like he could scream, that would probably kill him.

It took months to recover from this ordeal. Zeff told him he would just drop him on a random island once they were both healthy enough, but getting rid of the kid was impossible at this point. So they built a restaurant floating on the sea and Sanji forgot little by little that his soul was broken, forgot his burning passion for the ocean and didn't pay attention to the only color that existed for him. At least not until a boy with a straw hat proudly perched on his head destroyed his home and took him on an adventure.

Soul mates were a sensitive subject among the Straw Hats. Zoro never spoke about his but there was one night where he opened a bit and said she was dead but she was the reason he fought. Chopper didn't have one either, but he assured them it was because he was born animal and not human, and thus not feeling like a part of him was missing. Brook once sang about his own soul mate that he had left on an island decades ago because they couldn't follow him and he confessed that he was glad they didn't. He wouldn't have been able to watch them die alongside his former crew mates.

They met Nami's soul mate at the beginning of their journey in the person of Vivi, sweet Vivi with her blue hair that Sanji couldn't take his eyes off because her hair was stunning, a shade of blue he had never seen. Sweet and gorgeous Vivi, who decided to stay in her country that she loved so much even though her soul mate would be continuing her adventures on the other side of the world. The last time they saw each other, there were tears and smiles on their faces, because they knew they would see each other again. No one doubted it.

Robin and Franky completed each other. They realized it the moment Robin cried out and told the entire world of her desire to live. That's when the colors appeared to them and it was probably the reason why they both fought so hard to get to each other during the battle at Enies Lobby, destroying anyone that was on their way.

Luffy was a mystery in himself. He said that all eight of them were his soul mates and his world had never been more colorful than now, despite the fact that he wasn't theirs. At that, when anyone would have felt hollow or at least disappointed, he just gave them his trademark laugh. "I'm the captain, of course I'm nothing without my crew! It's not a big deal anyway, I know it doesn't mean that you love me less." So they nodded, erasing all feeling of guilt. If the captain said that there was no problem, it was true.

Sanji told them about his damaged soul and his almost colorless vision of the world at some point. He told them how he could see Franky's light blue hair and dark blue underwear color ( _"No, Franky, for fuck's sake, it doesn't mean that I approve the fact that you don't wear pants, please wear pants I'm begging you."_ ), the shade of blue on one of Zoro's swords, on Nami's swimsuits. Chopper even started crying when he told him that his blue nose was adorable because it was one of the only thing he could see perfectly. A dumbfounded swordsman only asked "Then how the heck do you know that my hair is green, shitty cook?" and Sanji answered with "Look, we all know that the plants are your long-lost family and even I know that they're green and wow, I was right, isn't that amazing?" and they would have got into a fight if it weren't for Nami.

None of them pitied him. They didn't say that he would find his soul mate one day. Luffy suddenly broke the silence, laughing proudly like he had just found the answer to Sanji's existential problem.

"You're not broken, Sanji! The colors will appear one day, you're just a bit slow!"

At that, Zoro laughed (of course he did, grassy bastard), Sanji kicked him, almost destroying a wall in the process, Franky went mad and started to throw barrels of cola at them, Nami threatened them to raise their debts, Luffy took advantage of the confusion to steal everyone's meat, Usopp cried asking why the hell he was part of this crew of monsters, Chopper went mad as well trying to calm them down. Brook and Robin just took a sip of their tea. Duh, this happened every day.

The subject was not brought up again, not so seriously at least. However, they all made an effort to give Sanji a bit of blue in his life. If Sanji noticed Robin lending him books with blue covers, Chopper requesting blueberry desserts or even sometimes asking him to use blue food coloring, Franky putting on even more blue shirts (and shit, how many blue underwears did he have?!) or Nami sometimes dragging him to go shopping and forcing him to buy blue clothes, he didn't say a word.

* * *

They were at the top of the world now. The crew of the Pirate King. They had even beaten up his fucked up family during the journey. Most of them had realized their dreams, but they kept traveling, going to places that no one else had witnessed.

"Sanji! _Sanji!_ Wake up now, you're missing something huge!"

The cook had been on watch during the whole night, then had made breakfast and lunch before collapsing on his bed, politely asking his ladies to wake him so he could make dinner. He intended to sleep during the whole afternoon, but apparently Luffy didn't agree with this. His loud voice woke him up and what kind of Pirate Lord behaved like that for fuck's sake? (Luffy. The answer was Luffy.) Groaning, the cook got up, swearing that he would kick that rubber bastard all the way to Raftel in a few minutes and then go back to sleep.

"There you are, c'mon! You're wasting time!"

An extending and never-ending rubber hand grabbed his shirt's collar and threw him on the ship's deck.

"Pirate King or not, I will fuck you up, you shitty-"

"Sanji, that's not important now, look!"

So he did.

His hands were shaking. He couldn't close his mouth, he couldn't breathe and his eyes were becoming dry and stung because he couldn't just close them or even _blink_.

From all sides, hundreds and thousands of fishes were jumping out of the sea and falling back in. Sea Kings were swimming, following the course of the ship but never threatening them. Species that no one else had seen before were all dancing together in the water, like they were greeting them. A few miles away, a gigantic whale, way bigger than Laboon cried out, falling down on the surface of the sea. There was no blank spot, anywhere they looked, they saw another fish, another animal, another Sea King.

Then Sanji realized. All around him, the world was only color. Red, purple, orange, crimson, green, fuchsia, yellow, gold, lavender, pink, everything was a mess and it was beautiful. He only knew the names of those colors, he didn't know what they actually looked like, but he was seeing all of them at the same time. It was overwhelming, frightening and he was crying because-

His soul mate was All Blue.

He was loudly sobbing now, not even bothering to hold back his tears, holding his arms and shaking, but never closing his eyes because everything was beautiful. His crew was all around him, smiling and holding him and telling him that he had finally done it. His dream.

He heard Robin's voice among the other's and the noise of the waves, his dear Robin that had found the Rio Poneglyph and now he understood the few glances she gave him afterwards because she knew thanks to the knowledge of the true history of the world that she had acquired.

"It is said that the All Blue has been waiting for centuries for the person that would complete its soul and that sometimes, the storms that we can behold on the other seas are just a manifestation of its pain."

It was surreal, crazy, but somehow it all made sense. Of course he had always been able to see a bit of blue, because All Blue was made of the four other seas and they had always been here with him. He had just needed to find the core.

Someone gave him a slight push towards the edge of the ship. Turning around, his whole crew was grinning at him. Usopp was pretending he wasn't crying, Chopper, Brook and Franky weren't not even able to pretend, Robin gave him a knowing smile and even Zoro was doing the same. Luffy was literally beaming. He was sure Nami had a small tear at the corner of her eyes, but she pushed him again. "Now go," she said.

So he smiled like he never had and jumped over the railing. The waves went up, higher than it should be possible as if All Blue was greeting him. He broke the surface, shoals of fishes danced around him and the whale cried out again in happiness.

All Blue was all around him, it was a part of him. Sanji felt whole. He wasn't broken.

* * *

I don't know what I just wrote. Soul mate AU with a little twist? I don't know, I just share Sanji's love for the sea. (Is it bad if I cried a bit when he did) I just love the sea so much and I needed a bit of happiness with that last chapter, someone protect this boy.

Reviews are appreciated, thank you for reading!


	7. Smile

A bit late but here we go for the 7th prompt! I'd like to thank everyone that left a review for the last chapter, I'm glad that it was appreciated!

Big thanks to Neko-Tiara who's really supportive of me even though we had a similar idea and a really wonderful human being, this one is dedicated to you girl~

 _Rating:_ T  
 _Genre:_ Hurt/comfort  
 _Word count:_ 7,617  
 _Warnings:_ spoilers for the most recent chapters, amputation

* * *

If there was something you should know about the Straw Hats, it is that they were highly protective of each other. Perhaps it was because of this common feeling they all shared, thinking that each of their crew mates were all they had in this cruel world, like a ray of sunlight amidst a storm. Anyone threatening what they treasured wouldn't be treated kindly, it was all or nothing. So when the harm came from the inside, they were at a loss.

* * *

Whole Cake Island was a goddamn battlefield right now, Usopp thought. Big Mom's sons and daughters were trying to defend their home in a way, against the Germa 66 soldiers, he could give them that, and the sniper could at least find comfort in that, thinking that maybe that meant that the wedding didn't go as planned. Most political marriages were fragile and could either result in a perfect alliance or complete chaos. It was apparently the latter. However, Usopp couldn't help but shudders watching those demon-like soldiers. It's like they were soulless, fighting like machines and _what if one of them had been Sanji if the cook was still part of his crazy family_? He didn't want to imagine such a thing, Sanji was so kind, one of the most generous men he had ever met, with a burning and passionate soul... Not like them. Usopp shook his head, this wasn't the right time to think about that. He kept running.

He had to find Sanji. No one knew where he was. The last people that had seen him were Nami, Brook and Chopper back in Capone's body, then his retrieval team thought they had found him in those strange woods, but Nami claimed it must have been an illusion of some kind as they met Luffy's evil twin (now this is a terrifying thing to think of). The other part of the crew, including the sniper, finally made it to the island and damn, that had been tedious enough, considering the fact that the freaking Navy was here as well, gladly participating in the whole clusterfuck that was happening. Like, what the hell? What were they doing here? But they weren't the main enemies here, it was the Vinsmokes and Usopp was pretty sure Luffy and Zoro were actively searching for them in order to make them understand that no one was allowed to take the cook from them. The Germa 66 soldiers had probably got a memo or something because they attacked the Straw Hats on sight, though it was nothing they couldn't handle. Before running (or flying, depends on how you see things) further ahead, Luffy had ordered him to find Sanji. So he did.

It wasn't an easy thing, because the cook was nowhere to be found. Usopp was avoiding fighting as much as possible because he couldn't allow himself to lose more time. He got to Big Mom's palace in the middle of the island and managed to sneak around unnoticed, getting inside the sugary structure. He ran, ran, ran, looking everywhere until he couldn't run anymore and finally stopped in a quiet aisle where he could only hear echoes of the battlefield. He was starting to panic, _where was Sanji?_ He wasn't amidst of the fight, otherwise he would have seen fire and people flying from his deadly kicks. He had to keep searching.

He started to run again, checking every – empty – rooms and in the middle of a random corridor, there was a familiar silhouette hidden by a long coat of someone walking with great difficulty, like he was trying to stand by supporting his weight with the wall with his right shoulder. Usopp swallowed, left with an uneasy feeling.

"... Sanji?"

Sanji slowly turned around. Sweat was dripping from his face, he was breathing with difficulty, his legs were shaking and Usopp had never seen him so pale. He looked dead.

"Usopp... took you a long time to find me."

"What happened to you?... What's happening? I'll take you back home, c'mon..."

"Home... I had forgotten about that..."

Usopp got closer. Now he was sure Sanji was going to collapse at any moment, but he was still standing strong. He always did. However, he surely seemed out of it, barely acknowledging his crew mate's questions. Usopp got a hold of his shoulders, more concerned than before.

"Hey, stay with me! What happened?!"

"I... Took a decision. I... Didn't want to be used... As a leverage against you all... I'm a terrible person, I'm so sorry, I did everything I could, but I wasn't strong enough, I've never been, but they would have used it against you... Please forgive me..."

Now he just didn't make any sense. But for a dazed-looking guy, Sanji seemed really serious all of the sudden, because he was crying, frantic and staring directly at Usopp, like he was trying to make him understand, but understand what? He tried to take a look at Sanji's physical state, looking down and... Oh dear god.

Sanji's arms were gone. Cut up to the elbow, both of them. Someone, probably Sanji himself, had tried to put some bandages around them, but it was sloppy work, of course it was, because Sanji's hand were fucking gone, they were gone, Sanji's most treasured possessions, his hands were his whole life and they were gone, gone, gone...

Usopp resisted the urge to throw up from the sight but also the implications of the act, because he was sure Sanji did this to himself. Sanji, the best cook in the entire world, who fought with his legs and never punched anyone, who took great care of his hands and Usopp suddenly remembered the time he went batshit crazy when a random pirate did a tiny little cut on his palm, _that Sanji_ , had decided to cut off both of his hands instead of... Instead of what?

The cook finally collapsed against Usopp's shoulder and the latter did everything he could to support his best friend (because that's who Sanji was, the one who always supported and protected him no matter what, his late-night confident, who made little snacks for him while pretending that he only liked his two ladies and the men of the crew weren't worthy enough of his cooking). He was crying, Usopp was sure he wanted to do so as well, but he needed to be strong for Sanji. He had to. Sanji was endlessly muttering apologies against his shoulders, his voice weak and cracking, definitely delirious with pain.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, I tried so hard, I did, I swear, I'm sorry, I'm sorry..."

The sniper put a hand on the blond head. He was at a loss, what could he do? What would Luffy said? Had they all failed in retrieving one of their own? He shook his head. No, it wasn't the right time to think about that. He needed to get Sanji out there, find Chopper, Franky, Robin, anyone, anyone that could protect him. He put Sanji's arms on his shoulders, trying not to pay attention at the bandaged ends of the limbs red with blood and lifted him on his back, putting his own hands under the cook's legs. He was heavy, but Usopp was going to carry him to the world's end no matter what.

"It's okay, I know you did. Let's bring you back home."

"Home... Sounds lovely."

Sanji smiled at him. It was the most hopeless smile Usopp had ever seen, but he took it.

* * *

Sanji didn't stop moaning endless apologies in his ears after that, even though Usopp was trying to calm him down and reassure him, but he could only do so much: the priority was to bring him back to the ship as soon as possible considering the state of his crew mate. The thing is, Usopp needed to reassure both of them, because he was literally freaking out as well, because what could he do? What if he made a wrong move and it would cost him Sanji's life? How could he live with that? At some point, the cook just passed out and although it was probably for the best, Usopp stopped running for a few minutes trying not to panic and wake him up, _please don't die Sanji, we need you_. That's when Chopper found them.

Thankfully, it was the doctor who was the first to witness Sanji's state because Usopp had no idea what he was supposed to do. The reindeer started shouting when he saw Sanji's unconscious form on Usopp's back, screaming so someone should get a doctor, but he went quiet as soon as he noticed the missing limbs with horrified eyes.

"Who did this, who dared-"

"He did this to himself."

Chopper suddenly wanted to cry because that didn't make sense and he had thousands of things in his mind at the moment and he could only do so much with the limited supplies available in his little bag and they needed to find Luffy and-

Stop. Sanji's life was on the line. He was his doctor and his only hope. He frowned, serious, ready to do anything for his patient and his friend. He ordered Usopp to lower him to the ground so he could give him minimal care before carrying him back to the ship. He undid the bloodstained bandages and it was obvious that Sanji had put them there himself. He tended to the terrible looking stumps, ignoring Usopp's stare. Ignoring his own desire to just look away and wish for this terrible day to be over. Then he said that he was done, helped Usopp to lift him and they ran as fast as they could. He did what he could, but he needed the infirmary to make sure that they wouldn't lose a brother again.

They found their fellow crew mates on the way, one by one, even Luffy when he was done with Big Mom, each one not believing what they saw at first. Tears in their eyes or in their hearts when they preferred to hide it, they got back to their ship, destroying everything that stood in their way. No one was stopping the Straw Hats, the smarter ones understanding and reading the rage in their eyes, a wrath directed to everyone and no one at the same time because their ennemies all had pushed Sanji in the wrong direction, it was their fault, but he did this to himself in the end. And they weren't even there to prevent it.

Chopper requested Robin's and Franky's help, locking the sick bay's door behind him. The next few hours were going to be long. Robin was a great help thanks to her devil fruit's ability and Franky despite his huge frame was able to do very precise work when asked. They worked in silence, Chopper occasionally breaking the cold atmosphere to ask them to do what was needed. They finally finished the surgery and got out of the infirmary once the wounds were cleaned and their cook safe in a bed but they didn't feel any better. The galley was silent as well, the whole crew sitting at the table, waiting. Chopper just shook his head. Sanji wasn't in immediate danger. But it was all they could be happy about.

For the next few days, Chopper spent most of his time taking care of the cook in the infirmary, never resting. Sanji was sometimes sobbing in his drugged slumber and Chopper felt even more guilty for it because there was nothing else he could do, but trying to soothe him, hoping that he would wake up soon but also fearing that moment because what were they supposed to say?

After two weeks of deliriousness and fever and cries of pain, Sanji woke up. No one knew how to react, not even the cook himself. Nodding at his crew mates' questions, he was just staring at the empty space where something should have been. Luffy was the one who broke the awkward quietness, putting his precious hat on the blond strands of hair. Then, with hugs, soft pats on his back or his thighs and whispers, they left the room, assuring him he wasn't alone to deal with this, that they understood and that no one was mad at him.

Chopper stayed. The most difficult part of his job was over, but Sanji's mental state was the next step and he didn't know where to start. What he had lost was the worst thing he could lose and yet, he did. Sitting at his desk, Chopper discreetly turned around. The cook was staring at his lost hands with empty eyes, as if he could just fix it, bring them back by staring. The reindeer got up, a cup of tea of his own making in his hooves and jumped on the white bed. He waited for Sanji to look up, and he did silently after a few minutes. He presented him the cup and Sanji weakly nodded, allowing him to pour the drink down his throat. Putting the cup on the nightstand, Chopper almost choked on a sob.

"Sanji... I'm so sorry, I swore that I would cure anything but I can't! I can't! I even called Law to try to figure something out but he said that there's nothing we can do because we couldn't retrieve your hands in the chaos! Because we weren't fast enough to get to you, you lost your treasure, we failed you and-"

"Chopper."

The doctor looked up with teary eyes and messy fur from exhaustion. It was the first time he heard Sanji's raspy and still weak voice since the last time, that time when he said with a genuine smile that he would come back. It had been a promise.

"It's okay. It... It was my own doing. You did what you could. You did a great job."

Sanji smiled at him. It was the less sincere smile Chopper had even seen, but he took it.

* * *

Chopper allowed Sanji to get out of his bed only after another week. He had to learn a bit of balance again, he was still too weak from the blood loss and well, his mental state was terrible. Especially since he couldn't do everything on his own, including eating and more intimate things and even though the doctor insisted that it was no trouble and that it was his own job, he could see that it wasn't a good thing for him. Sanji had always been a bit more independent, probably due to the way he had grown up. However, it was necessary.

When Sanji stepped out on the deck, sunlight almost blinded him, but not as much as his crew's warm welcoming. He was hiding his lost limbs with an open jacket, timidly answering to Franky's, Usopp's, Brook's and Luffy's antics in order to cheer him up. They knew his heart wasn't really there with them (yet) but he was here, alive, and that was already something.

However, Nami stepped out a bit, walking away from the small and quiet celebration. She felt so angry at everything, everyone, herself and most of all at that stupid Sanji that she preferred not to glare at him when he was trying so hard.

Because that was the whole problem she had with Sanji, a problem she always had since their meeting actually. Surprisingly, it wasn't his attitude towards women, not at all (although it could be a bit annoying, but she knew he meant well and he wasn't disrespectful because he meant every word). No, it went deeper than that, it was Sanji's whole personality that was a problem. He was an idiot. Well, everybody knew that. But a real idiot, too kind, too generous, he was an idiot because he gave, he gave, he gave so much of his own person to everyone because he had nothing else to give, he did so without thinking, even towards strangers. For someone raised by a pirate, Sanji despite his general demeanor was probably the less fitted of all of them to be one. A pirate didn't give his whole self like he did. Sanji was an idiot because he didn't realize he was destroying himself in the process and because of that the worst had happened.

She hated him. Him and his stupid smile, his stupid cuisine, his stupid eyebrows, his stupid face, his stupid gifts, his stupid legs, his stupid strength, his stupid strategic skills, everything. Above all, she hated herself for hating such a _good_ man.

She avoided him, only glaring at him from afar, ignoring Robin's knowing looks and Luffy's pleads to go see Sanji and talk to him because the man wanted to see his ladies, of course he did. So that's what he wanted to do, right? Act as nothing happened, just like before? Great. Keep destroying yourself, Sanji, until there's nothing left, see if she cares.

She did care. A bit too much maybe.

So after two or three days of fuming in her own corner of the ship, she decided to act and cornered the cook during the morning. He was still sleeping in the sick bay because Chopper needed him to be there to take care of him daily. Sanji was already awake and in the process of standing up, bare torso covered up by bandages. He was staring at his clothes lying on Chopper's desk, courtesy of the doctor. He turned around with a surprised look on his face.

"Ah, my dear Nami, what are you doing already up at this-"

"Shut up."

"... I don't understand, I-"

"I said shut up. But you don't care about that, right? Because you're so stubborn and you don't listen, you never do, you do your own thing and you don't care about the consequences. Or you do care about what's going to happen to us, but not to you."

He stayed silent, staring at her with a closed look on his face. Waiting. And he'd better wait, because she wasn't finished, not yet. She took a few steps towards him, tears of rage threatening to fall

"You're a freaking disaster, right? Why couldn't just wait for us before deciding to... To do that?! See, I can't even say it! You did that to yourself! You're terrible, you know that?! You fucking promised to come back, and you did, but no one wanted you to come back like that! Luffy was going to do his thing and kick Big Mom's ass, but you had to do your thing! Because you're fucking Sanji and you just don't care about your well-being! We were so close to finding you, bringing you back like nothing happened!"

She forcefully pulled him into a hug, hiding her face from him. Her voice cracked.

"... Have some faith in us. When had we ever let one of us down? We're in this together."

"... Can I cry a bit on your shoulder?"

She hummed and nodded, already feeling the salty water from his eyes falling on her skin, his body shaking with silent sobs.

"My hands, Nami... They're gone, they're really gone, they're gone forever..." He was whispering.

"I'm sorry, Sanji. I'm really sorry."

They stayed like that for a bit, her gently rubbing circles on his back and on the back of his neck. When he was finally silent, she stepped back, putting her hands on her hips, staring at him with fierce eyes that made him step back as well.

"You are going to learn how to depend on your family, because that's what we are. And if I hear a protest of some kind, I swear call your father on the Baratie and I'll make him tell the most embarrassing stories about you. Or I could do worse, and I can find worse, I promise you."

He looked stunned for a moment

"I have no doubts about that, my dear Nami."

"So don't doubt me ever again. Or us."

She grabbed the shirt from the desk, forcing him to bend a bit so she could put it around his shoulders, helping him putting his bandaged stumps in it. She helped him dress up as well, ruffled his hair a bit and pushed him to the bed, ordering him to sit there. As a final touch, she grabbed the straw hat and forcibly put it on his head. He wasn't allowed to take it off, Luffy's orders. She left the infirmary, coming back with a Chopper-approved meal and started to feed him, daring him to even protest.

Sanji smiled at her. It wasn't the most genuine smile Nami had ever seen, but she took it.

* * *

For the next few days, no one mentioned the fact that Nami was always there to assist the cook in trivial things that he couldn't do without hands, always there at his sides and refusing that someone else replaced her. Hell, they weren't crazy, they all feared her fury.

Even Robin herself didn't dare try as she was amused enough watching her navigator trying to get Sanji out of his shell, because Nami's forceful intervention had had its effects on him. He was no longer trying so hard to hide his pain with small and trembling smiles that didn't fool anyone – they could see the hollow look in his eyes – and he was quiet. He didn't speak, even when someone asked him about his well-being, just shook his head. The rare times he did speak, his voice was raspy, cracking. But they weren't rushing him or even mentioning the issue. Time could only heal those wounds.

He also slept a lot more and Chopper assured them it was normal and even for the best. He seemed to want to spend a lot of time alone, either sitting next to the railing, watching the ocean when no one would look for him or in the aquarium room. Well, no one tried to bother him as they knew that Robin was keeping a constant eye or two on him. Literally. Overprotective or paranoid, maybe, she didn't mind. She had seen a lot of things in her life and she understood the kind of desperation he was experiencing, she only wanted to make sure he didn't do anything harmful. However, neither of them were fools and he probably knew that he was being watched all the time.

On the other hand, this constant observation didn't make her feel better. Past the guilt of not having been able to do anything to prevent this disaster, it was now a different kind of guilt because what could she do to ease his suffering? She was a skillful assassin, knew manipulation like no one on this ship and yet, she was unable to reach out to him. Thinking about the fact that they all did it back in Water 7 for her made it worse somehow.

Instead, she settled for soft pats of a disembodied arm to wake him up when Luffy started to shout his name looking for him, putting a blanket on his distressed form when he unexpectedly fell asleep. It was only small gestures but she felt like it was the only thing she could do. And a few days later, nearly two weeks after Sanji's awakening, she found the answer.

Today was her turn to make breakfast. It was a task no one wanted to be assigned to, as they felt they were stealing a part of Sanji's dream and soul but they didn't have a choice here. She got up fairly early this morning, spent the minimal time needed in the bathroom and entered the galley.

Sanji was already up and Robin was about to gently scold him to go back to bed when she noticed his expression. He still had that blank look on his face, standing in front of the counter, looking right at his utensils. So that's what it was.

Robin hesitated. She wanted to help as much as she could, but she feared his reaction. Ah, the cruel irony: she had countless limbs and he who needed only two had lost them. Sighing, she crossed her arms in front of her chest, concentrating. Two of her delicate arms sprouted from Sanji's own limbs, just above the cut elbows. He jumped, surprised by the sight since he didn't notice her entering the room. She patiently waited, ready to make them disappear at any moment. She was taking a huge risk with his mental stability. He seemed horrified, then scared, then puzzled, then he looked up at her, like he didn't believe what he saw. She titled her head to the side, gentle.

"Would you like some help preparing breakfast?"

She was the one assigned to such duty, but she was no cook, he was. He was the one deserving the help, not her. He swallowed, then hesitantly nodded.

It was awkward during the first few minutes. Robin didn't have his knowledge and his ease in the kitchen, but she followed him and his instructions. When he reached out for a utensil or an ingredient, it took her a few seconds to think about opening her fingers and grabbing said object. Then Sanji would move what was left of his arms, telling her what to do with her own artificial ones. The more and more they cooked, the more they fell slowly in sync like a well-oiled machine as he didn't need to tell her what to do when he tried to grab something – or more accurately, when he approached for her to grab something. The sight of their mismatched skins was something she wasn't used to and those hands were made for killing and strangling, not such a generous thing as cooking. But they managed.

The rest of the crew woke up one by one, entering the galley and they were welcomed with a gratifying sight. A regal-like meal just like _before_ , and the two cooks, the professional and the amateur, waiting for them. For a moment, no one said anything but of course, Luffy had to tell the entire world of his love for meat in the morning by shouting (right in Usopp's ears by the way, _would you please be kind enough not to scream that much at this ungodly hour, thank you_ ) and they all sat down. Sanji was nervously waiting on the side, biting his lip.

Breakfast was hectic as usual and it rapidly got out of hands, but there was still a solemn atmosphere in the air. Luffy wasn't stealing someone else's food for once, because he surely knew Sanji wasn't strong enough to kick him. After minutes and minutes of degustation, the captain patted his stomach.

"That's what the future Pirate King's cook is capable of! Oh, please, please, Sanji, please make me that meat thing I like for lunch today!"

"That just doesn't make sense, 'meat thing', you like anything with meat in it..."

"Sanji knows which one I'm talking about! You do, right, Sanji?"

"We'll see about that, he'll cook when I allow him to! He's been out of bed for way too long already!"

Chopper got up with a scolding look on his face, pushing Sanji into the sick bay. Someone needed to help him eat as well and it was his job, but Chopper had never been really good at hiding his feelings and they could see the pride and happiness in his eyes. They all were feeling the same. Just before leaving the galley, Sanji turned around and mouthed a 'Thank you' at Robin.

Sanji smiled at her. It wasn't the most confident smile Robin had even seen, but she took it.

* * *

It was like a heavy weight that they all shared was lifted from their shoulders after that. Sanji was still acting the same, if less quiet. He was slowly learning how to be dependant on them and they all noticed the difference. Before, they didn't know anything about his childhood and now that he didn't have anything to hide, he probably felt a bit closer to them. It wasn't like he was distant like Robin used to be before the Enies Lobby disaster, but he didn't change the subject when someone mentioned his natal North Blue. He even shared a few snippets of his past, the rare happy moments he had there, especially with Usopp as they spent a lot of time together, just talking (and testing things in his workshop for the sniper).

Hearing about those stories, Brook realized that he should have guessed Sanji's past identity. Not that his path crossed the Vinsmokes', but he knew enough songs from the North to understand that sometimes, lyrics weren't just lyrics. He had heard of tales of a family acting from the shadows, and during those two years apart, he had had time to learn about what he had missed during his decades in his own. There were a few rumors about a missing child, but he had nothing to actually make a link with Sanji at the time.

For that, Brook was chosen as the second confident (not that there was an actual title) as Sanji sometimes talked about his siblings and father and his own assassin training in a small voice when they were left alone. It was something that Brook wouldn't judge him or be afraid about. He considered himself too old to actually do so and well, he had lived enough adventures and met enough pirates to know how dark this world could be.

Other than that, the whole crew didn't push Sanji into telling his whole life story. They didn't for Robin, Franky, Zoro and everyone else. If he wanted to share something, he would be listened to, otherwise no one was going to ask. It was obvious that thinking about it was painful enough. So that was why Brook was quite surprised when Sanji requested North Blue songs. The cook was having some trouble sleeping lately and honestly, no one would blame him, so Brook would always pay him a visit in the infirmary to play him something. Sanji suddenly hummed a soft tune.

"... Do you know this one? My... My mother used to sing it to me... I think. I was too young to remember. But I feel like I've always known this melody."

"I do, actually. A story about a prince who was torn apart by his duty and his desire of an adventure. A bittersweet one, but with a hopeful note."

"Sounds familiar."

"Would you like me to play it for you?"

"Please."

They got back to the sick bay and Sanji struggled with taking off his light jacket.

"Brook, I need a hand here. Or two, maybe."

Brook froze. Despite being empty, his eye sockets conveyed his feelings well and he was unusually still. Sanji just looked distant, or at least he tried to look like it. He was probably embarrassed, horrified, looking at every single thing in the room except his crew mate.

"I believe you just made a skull joke, my friend."

"I did not."

"I am clearly not mistaken, you did."

"I did no such thing, now shut up and help me!"

Sanji kicked him. It seems like he had recovered a bit of strength after all. And well, Brook guessed he kind of deserved it. The cook sat on his bed while Brook was standing up. He was already worn out. Always the gentleman, the skeleton put his hat back on his head.

"Jokes aside, I wish I could help you like our Robin is helping you. My own ability is useless for you."

"It's alright. You're already helping."

"It's a good thing to hear then, Sanji. It's also a good thing to see that you can finally joke about what happened. We might not say it out loud, but everyone is proud of you."

"Shut up."

"..."

"..."

"Oh, I know! Maybe I could detach my arm and give it to you!"

"No offense Brook, but your body is fucking creepy." Sanji mumbled, already almost sleeping.

So Brook played the soft tune on his good old violin and the cook finally fell asleep, trusting his comrade to protect him. Maybe they were going to be okay after all. They just needed a bit more time. The cook would never be totally comfortable with his loss, but making jokes meant he was getting better. He was trying.

Sanji smiled at him. It wasn't the most relaxed smile Brook had ever seen, but he took it.

* * *

Most of them didn't see Franky much these days as he was constantly working in his workshop. They didn't need to be a genius to guess why. So that's why, one morning, when Nami was helping Sanji dressing up, Franky smashed the sick bay's door open brandishing a pair of metal forearms, Sanji wasn't really surprised.

"And it's dooone! Look at those beauties! They're pretty much everything-proof, meaning that you can go and do whatever the hell you dangerous people like you and Zoro do in your spare time, you can cook, you can swim with it, just like the real deal! I even put some _suuuuuper_ sensors in it so you can actually feel what you touch and everything. Also, I'll need to make sure they're doing their job well for the first few months and be prepared to hours of maintenance buddy. Now you just need to wait a bit before I put some skin on it and then—"

"Don't bother."

"Uh?"

"I... I want to see them as they are. As a reminder. If that's okay with you."

"... No problem bro! You want to look like me, right?"

"Don't start to twist my words, who the hell wants to look like you?!"

The next day, they started surgery with the help of Chopper. Only Franky was allowed inside the infirmary and a very loyal and diligent Usopp was guarding the door under the doctor's instructions. He didn't want anyone to disturb them, no matter how nervous they were, all sitting in the galley waiting in silence, fidgeting their legs, biting their lips, sighing every so often. The surgery itself was painful enough as they couldn't afford to drug Sanji too much when they were connecting the nerves when the metal. The man himself was drenched in sweat from the pain and the effort he was making not to scream out loud, but Franky was too focused on his precise work to apologize for it. He had experienced that kind of agony himself after all.

It lasted for a few hours, almost the whole day. At some point, Sanji had passed out, only waking nearly at the end when they were finally putting on the actual metal limbs, and when Chopper slightly opened the door, the rest of the crew barged in, almost destroying it in the process ( _"Damnit Zoro and your strength, pay more attention to my ship, it's my baby you monster!_ " _"You did the same yesterday morning you idiot!" "That's not the same you dumbass!_ "). The cook was still in pain, it was obvious enough with his intense breathing and sweat, but he lifted a clenched fist, grinning with all his teeth.

"So, how does it look?"

Chopper allowed them to stay for the finishing work. Luffy was bouncing on the bed, cheerfully clapping and congratulating Franky's wonders. At some point Sanji cried out, surprised when Franky adjusted an inner cable and the rest of them jumped, distraught and asking questions all at once until Chopper told them to shut up, and at that Zoro was the one who promptly responded with "He's in pain."

"Nothing I can do about that really, it's the normal process, now quit staring at me like I'm not doing my own job the right way guys." Franky reproached them and deciding that enough was enough, Chopper just kicked them out because "You're all disrupting my patient!".

After a few more minutes, Franky closed the last panel and proudly patted what he considered his masterpiece.

"I wanna say 'Please take good care of them' but I don't think I need it, right?"

"No. They're hands. I promise I'll treat them as if they were the real ones. You won't have the build new ones again, I will never fight with them and... could you please stop crying?"

And no, Franky couldn't stop crying, loudly wailing about how sorry he was (they all were), how proud he was (they all were) and how many tearful songs he was going to write in Sanji's honor (well, uh, only he wanted that). But Sanji's feet were quite persuasive, so he just settled down with a forced hug. Sanji was still pale in his embrace and looked like shit, but his new hands revived the flame in his eyes and you know what, maybe they were going to be okay.

Sanji smiled at him. It wasn't the most convincing smile Franky had even seen, but he took it.

* * *

Time went by. It was already almost three months since Whole Cake Island and Nami made sure to take a calmer course. One of their most powerful fighters was down for the moment, it wasn't the right time to look for trouble. As for the other two members of the unofficial Monster Trio, well, they were starting to get restless.

All of them had had their alone time with Sanji, the latter being a little bit bolder in confessing what was on his mind. However, Zoro didn't. Talks weren't not really his thing, he didn't need words to convey his will. It was actually more Sanji's thing and that was how things worked here: Zoro was here to protect the crew from external harm and making sure that Luffy didn't lose sight of his objectives, Sanji was here to protect them from internal dangers, paying attention to each member of the crew so they remained united. That way, with the two of them, Luffy knew he didn't have to worry.

As much as Zoro was concerned for the cook's well-being (despite their usual quarrels, they did care for each other and completed each other's weaknesses), not having his sparring partner was becoming a problem. He was strong enough to protect the crew in case of an attack, but he would have to work for two and Zoro wasn't that arrogant. So, with all the delicacy he was able to show, he cornered the cook one week after his surgery.

"You, me, we spar. Now."

"... Your speech proficiency is getting worse, seaweed. Bring it on."

It was their first time getting into a physical fight in three months (it wasn't the case for verbal fights, but because Nami was always watching them, they never got out of hand) and although he would never admit it out loud, Zoro did miss them. They both landed satisfying kicks and slashes, until Zoro managed to make Sanji fall on his back. Standing above him, a sword under his chin, Zoro glared.

"And you're not doing such a great job. You know why? You're not doing handstands anymore."

At that, Sanji looked physically struck and pushed the sword on the side, looking away.

"Does it really matter?"

"Yeah, it does. Imagine what could happen if you can't be at full power. We gave you time so you could get back on your feet, but you can't allow yourself to slack off."

Sanji sighed, putting a cigarette in his mouth and ruffling his hair.

"I know that, who do you think I am?! It's just... I can still feel them sometimes, you know? Chopper said it was normal, it was called 'Phantom Limb' or something and... I don't know, I guess I'm just scared of losing it all again."

Zoro stayed silent, sheathing his swords then crossing his arms in front of his scarred chest. He finally sat down as well next to his crew mate (but still putting a safe distance between them because, _duh_ , they were still Zoro and Sanji).

"I'm not going to give you a lecture about trusting us or having faith in us or whatever bullshit because the witch already did that."

"It still sounds like you're giving me one, but okay."

"Shut your damn mouth and let me finish. It's because you're still doubting. Not us, I know you trust Franky's hands to support you, but you don't have enough confidence in yourself and that's what's keeping you from improving and getting stronger. We'll be here in case you fall once again so quit being such a moron."

"... Wow, the seaweed can actually talk with complex sentences for more than one minute, it's a god damn miracle, people, and wow okay, I'm just joking, algae plant, just chill out."

"Get up. Show me your handstands."

"Aaaaand we're back to barking orders."

They fought for hours again, jumping around on the entire deck with Luffy cheering in the background. Sanji was still hesitant but the more they fought, the more confident he got. Some of them were watching with a smile (Robin, Brook – let's just say he smiled internally because otherwise it raised too many questions), some others were just complaining about the state of the ship (Franky, Usopp) and Nami and Chopper were ready to punch them at any time because Sanji wasn't fully healed yet. They finally sat back down on the lawn, panting with the effort.

"So tell me. How did you cut both of your arms at the same time?"

"Well, you're the swordsman here, I'm sure you can think of several ways of doing it."

Sanji smiled. It wasn't the kind of smile Zoro was used to receive from him, but he took it.

* * *

Sanji stepped out on the deck, calling them for dinner. Robin was no longer helping him, but even when she wasn't present in the room, she still gave him a little help with a disembodied arm, grabbing a plate or a frying pan and giving him a thumbs up sign when he thanked her. Old habits never died after all and she didn't forget his own cooking methods. They all sat down one by one, but Sanji was more concerned about the fact that Luffy didn't come in flying with those endless arms of his, trying to steal everyone else's share. That was not a good sign, right? Sharing a look with the rest of the crew, Sanji went off, only to find the rubber boy sitting on the Sunny's head.

"Dinner's ready, captain."

"I can see you staring at nothing, you know, when you think no one is watching."

"Uh, okay... Sorry 'bout that?"

"Nah, it's okay. I do that sometimes when I think about Ace."

"Look, I don't think we can really compare those two things, Luffy."

"Yes, it's the same, we both lost something really important to us and nothing will be the same. But look, I'm no longer sad when I think about Ace. I miss him sure, but I know he doesn't regret the way he died. Do you regret what you did?"

"... No, I don't. I used to before, because I was selfish to think that my hands had more worth than your lives. But I knew none of you wouldn't have fought knowing that I had those cuffs, so, no matter how much you all think that I was an idiot for not waiting for you, I don't regret it."

"Your hands were your treasure so they were ours as well, they were worth everything in our eyes. We failed you, Sanji, but it won't happen again. I promise."

Sanji didn't respond, but he put back the precious straw hat back on its rightful owner's disheveled hair, the precious hat the captain gave him three months ago. Luffy got a hold of the metal hand, squeezing the cold fingers shining under the moon's light.

"So you're okay now?"

"Not really. But I will be."

There was still a distant look in his eyes, an empty spot in his heart and soul. When he was alone in agony back in that cursed island, he thought he was going to die of desperation because _they were gone, they were gone, you did this to yourself, you deserve the pain_. Yet, the constant presence of his family at his sides gave him courage, when he thought he could never smile again. Usopp brought him back home, Chopper saved his dying body, Nami got him out of his selfish and depressed state, Robin helped him reconnect with what he loved, Brook chased the nightmares away in order to cope with everything, Franky helped him stand up strong again, Zoro gave him back his confidence.

Sanji smiled. Although it wasn't the passionate smile he had when talking about All Blue, it reminded Luffy of Ace's smirk, Sabo's gentle and confident grin, the ones that gave him the strength to defy the entire world, so he took it.

"You're smiling again. For real this time."

"Am I?"

"Yeah! Your smile is our treasure too!"

"... Don't say things like that, it's embarrassing. Go eat your dinner."

Luffy gave him an enthusiastic hug, thanked him and ran, already starting with argument at Usopp for stealing his meat. Sanji sighed, taking in a puff of his cigarette stick before throwing it into the sea. No, nothing would be like before. His silver hands were a reminder that he couldn't forget, but he was smiling, and that was already something.

Back in the warm light of the galley, they all thought about Sanji's smile and how much they worked to retrieve it. It was their treasure and no one was allowed to steal it from them.

* * *

I wrote way too much for a single word prompt but oh well, chapter 833 and 834 were terrible for my mental health like what the fuck are you doing to my baby Sanji, Oda?

Now I realize that amputating Sanji isn't a really original idea but it's one that I wanted to write about for years now, so here we go. At first I only had the idea of the snippet with Robin, but why not write something with each member of the crew? The idea here was to have them work to bring a smile to Sanji's lips~

Feedback is appreciated! Thanks to everyone that left reviews, we're almost there people!


	8. Wanted

Eighth and last prompt! I actually wrote this one first, only adding a few details accordingly to the new chapters, I think you can see it. It's like a mix of most of the seven other prompts... A bit less proud of this one but I hope you'll enjoy it!

For the guest answers: Thank you Denia for the kind comment! Thank you Guest1 as well, I am truly speechless to have received such a long and kind review, it really warmed my heart!

Thank you to everyone that left a review, favorited or followed this series during this month!

 _Rating_ : T  
 _Genre_ : Gen  
 _Word coun_ t: 1,831  
 _Warnings_ : spoilers for the most recent chapters

* * *

"Do you want anything, Sanji? I can try to make my baby brother's stay here a bit more comfortable."

Sanji let out a soft chuckle, staring at Big Mom's palace's ceiling with a blank look and lazily smoking one of his last cigarette sticks. It was probably the only thing that kept him from going crazy because it wasn't so simple to stay put with those damn cuffs around his pale wrists and his sister keeping him company. And what a fucking great company she was. He just ignored her for the past few hours, not even taking the bait in her numerous attempts to make him talk to her. Her poisonous words didn't have any effects on him, not anymore. He was not the child he used to be. So he just settled with a laugh.

"There's nothing I want from you. Except you could maybe shut up, that would actually be a goddamn relief."

His – only biological, he reminded himself, he didn't consider any of them as his actual siblings – sister frowned, then put back her seemingly innocent smile on, although she remained visibly upset about his answer. He puffed a bit of smoke in her direction, letting the ashes fall on the perfectly clean floor. Well, if he couldn't actually fight for now, at least he wasn't going to be an easy prisoner.

"Oh yeah, forgot to warn you about that. You're not used to being answered back, right? Whether it's charming the world's government officials or crushing the disobedient soldiers, everyone fears you. Even your brothers trying so hard to be the perfect assassins are a bit scared of you, you know that?"

"You don't need to exclude yourself, you know. I remember you trying so hard to keep up with us, to be able to proudly wear the name Vinsmoke. What happened to that cute little boy?"

Reiju sighed, a hand on her heart, the other on the side of her face. She didn't even try to answer because Sanji knew he had touched a sensitive chord, but she was only avoiding, faking, trying to twist his words to make him hurt, bring back that crying desperate kid. Sanji wanted to kick her through the window, woman or not.

"That little boy decided to say 'fuck them' and grow up to become a better man."

"Oh, the baby bro is actually fighting back!"

"'A better man'? That must be a fucking joke. A pirate! Pirates are unwanted men, their existence is completely worthless. Only their deaths have a price, or in your case, your capture."

Great, freaking great. Ichiji and Niji made their entrance, smirking and all. Just like in his memories. Nothing had changed much with this family. Or maybe they got worse.

"Don't you have anything better to do? I don't know, follow your father like well-trained dogs? Must be fun."

Niji crossed the room in a few steps and grabbed the collar of his shirt.

"I'll be a bit more compliant if I were you. None of us are here to put up with your bullshit so try to look though all you want, you're trapped here and you're never getting out again."

"Because you really think I'm going to stay obedient just like your father wants? It's more your style, not mine."

Niji pushed him back on the couch, grinding his teeth. Sanji was playing with fire, however a cook wasn't afraid of fire, he lived within it and used it. And none of them could actually harm him as they needed him to be in perfect condition for the wedding.

"Ironic, isn't it? I used to want to feel wanted and accepted by a fucked-up family who didn't want me, and when they finally do, I'm just telling them to fuck off. How does it feel, frustrating? I'm dying to know."

Niji punched him in the jaw without a warning, sending him to the floor, but Sanji kept grinning. It was just a little revenge after all those years after all. He wasn't going to surrender now, he had made a promise for fuck's sake!

"Wait until the wedding is over. Then we'll have fun."

That was Ichiji. Maybe it was because of the numbers, but being the 'first one', Ichiji had always been a bit more mature and calculating than Niji, who was more hot-headed and temperamental. Ironically, Sanji had taken after both of them.

The two brothers got out of the room. Well, that had been completely pointless. Threatening him or decking him wasn't going to do much, Sanji thought. Reiju knelt before him, gently touching the forming bruise on his face, a slight smile still plastered on his face. She gracefully got up to follow her two brothers then stopped herself at the doorway. She wasn't looking at him.

"You are right, in a way. We didn't want you back then, but we were wrong. We have an opportunity to be reunited now. Wouldn't it be nice, all of us together, protecting and fighting for each other? Think about it. What do you want, Sanji?"

She left him, lost deep in his thoughts.

 _What do you want, Sanji?_

 _"I want to find All Blue!"_

 _"It's a myth, Sanji. Go back to cleaning the dishes and don't throw the leftovers!"_

 _"I want to be the best cook on the four seas!"_

 _"Cooking is not meant for those above the world, foolish boy."_

 _"I want to be as perfect as my brothers!"_

 _"You are worthless, a weakling. No one wants you boy, you are not worthy of being my son."_

 _"I want to get out, Father, please!"_

"What do you want, Sanji?"

 _ **"I want to be a Vinsmoke!"**_

"Sanji?"

"Luffy..."

They had found him. Of course they had. For Luffy, no member of his crew was allowed to drift away for too long. Some members of the Mink tribes had accompanied them, Carrot joyfully hugging him and crying at the same time, so much that Nami had to stop her from choking him. Zoro and Franky were comparing the number of Germa 66 soldiers they had taken out, Robin was laughing to Brook and Luffy's antics and Chopper was trying to check for any wounds on him while Usopp was slapping the back of his head, tearfully yelling at him ( _"Don't you ever do this to us again, you jerk! I'm not crying, YOU'RE CRYING!"_ ).

"So, where are your siblings? Do we need to slice them up or can we go now?"

"Zoro, we need to find the keys to those cuffs before they actually find out that Sanji is back with us, use your brain a little."

"Well, Nami can steal them alright, don't worry Sanji!"

"Why do I have to be the one to risk my life on this?! Imagine if it's Big Mom who has them!"

"Are you a burglar or not?"

"She will probably eat you alive if she notices you."

"Robin, please stop..."

"So, Sanji? What do we do?"

"Uh?"

Eight pairs of eyes were fixed on his kneeling form, waiting. It had probably been hours now, but no matter how much he told himself that she was messing with him, Reiju's words were like suspended in his mind, playing again and again like an old record. "We could be reunited, we could love you like we should have, an unbreakable family, all of us against the world." And then he thought of the little boy he used to be, the little boy whose greatest wish was to finally hear those words, to feel loved, accepted, _wanted_ , to be a Vinsmoke. What if, what if he joined them, he would finally have what he had always desired.

"What do you want, Sanji?"

He looked up to his captain's hopeful eyes, just a boy who was sure of himself becoming the King, who was so sure of himself saving each of his crew mates. Anyone that had known Luffy for only a few minutes thought the straw hat boy was dense, but Sanji knew better. He knew the question went much deeper than it seemed to. He must look so lost, barely acknowledging what was happening. And then, he looked, he looked at all of them.

The crying child inside him disappeared.

"I want to be a Straw Hat... I want to find the All Blue with you!"

And another voice inside him said "Go to hell Reiju, you and your fucked up schemes."

They all hugged him at once – well, almost all of them, Zoro didn't hug people, _duh_ , until Robin forcefully pulled him into the group embrace. Luffy proudly laughed, reaching for the top of his head. Between the tears falling from his eyes, Sanji tried to put himself back together.

"Luffy, _don't you dare_ , don't you dare do your hat bullshit on me, I'm going to fight-"

"No, you're not. Franky, you stay with him, that's an order."

"You got it, captain."

"Luffy—"

"You've done enough cook, now let us do the rest."

They were all leaving one by one, closing the steel door that separated them from his crazy family so he couldn't follow them into the battle and Sanji couldn't help but think " _No, no, no, no, that wasn't the plan, this wasn't supposed to happen!_ " With a distressed shout, he arose and ran to the door, kicking it with flaming legs but why wasn't it moving, it's just a stupid door, a single kick should have been enough!

He lifted his fist, ready to strike, but Franky's much bigger one grabbed his hand.

"Aw, not your hands bro, do you even know how to throw a punch?"

"Let me go, stupid cyborg, I have to go, you don't know who they're up against, I know them, they can't win!"

"Because you sincerely think this will stop Luffy? He told me to protect you and that means, from anyone that will come for you but also from yourself doing stupid things. So you just stay calm here and wait for it to end."

"I swear if you don't let me go, I will fuck you up so bad no one will recognize your ugly face!"

"We both know you can actually do that, so why don't you do it already?"

Sanji froze and judging that he wasn't going to destroy his legs against the door, Franky released him, only for him to fall back on his knees, the precious straw hat following him. The cyborg sat next to him, putting it back on his head.

"Take care of it. You know what the hat means, it means that you just stand down and wait. So we wait."

Sanji wasn't used to that. He didn't wait, never, he was the one protecting, not the one being protected. He was shaking so much, hiding his face behind the so famous hat. The little voice in him, much stronger than before, was screaming with joy.

 _"You see, Father, I_ am _wanted."_

* * *

Well, this challenge is finally over... it was a really fun month! It's been actual years since I wrote something, and my first time writing in English. Having to keep up with such a tight schedule is not easy, but it was fun nonetheless. I hope you enjoyed reading each of those prompts as much I enjoyed writing them!

I'm currently preparing other OP fics, I hope you'll be there to read them as well. In the mean time, you can find me on my tumblr at a-ngyie, feel free to drop an ask!


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